TIRANA, Dec. 21 – The prosecutor-general’s office reported that 38 percent of people arrested during the operation against marijuana cultivation in Lazarat in June have been formally charged in court.
Twenty seven resident of the notorious drug village have been accused of cultivating and trafficking drugs, while 11 of organizing illegal gatherings and opposition to police. The latter group made a protest against police in October, which turned violent. Seventeen are still at large.
In June, hundreds of police forces forcefully entered Lazarat, considered until then a lawless place, where criminal gangs were free to operate.
Police destroyed hundreds of tons of cannabis worth billions of euros, that would have reached European countries in the past. During the operation, police faced armed resistance, but was ultimately able to overpower the gangs.
